County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) are joining forces with local partners to keep people safe this bonfire and fireworks season. With many organised events cancelled, emergency services are preparing for a busy night as people celebrate in their own gardens.

CDDFRS have joined up with Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council and Durham Constabulary to ensure members of the public are aware of the dangers of bonfires and fireworks. Whilst most people enjoy fireworks responsibly, in the wrong hands they can cause real misery.

Fireworks are explosives, they can cause serious injury and even death if they are not treated responsibly. A good start to a home display is to ensure all fireworks meet BS 7114 standards and are only used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the Firework Code.

Please stay safe and follow the Firework Code:-

• Only buy fireworks over the counter from licensed and reputable retailers.
• Only adults should handle and light fireworks, (avoid drinking alcohol until after the fireworks are done).
• Keep fireworks in a closed metal box.
• Follow the instructions on each firework carefully.
• Light them at arm’s length using a suitable taper.
• Always stand well back, 8m as a minimum.
• Never go back to a lit firework – if it hasn’t gone off it could still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket.
• Never throw fireworks.

Lee Aspery, Arson Reduction and Young People Manager at CDDFRS said: “This year we appreciate Bonfire night is likely to be different for everyone. With the majority of organised displays cancelled, we understand that some members of the public are likely to have a home display.

If you are planning to use fireworks at home, then please follow the Firework Code. If you have children and are planning on using sparklers, ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Keep your four-legged friends indoors and make them comfortable with curtains closed and low music to reduce the effects of noise outside.

We would strongly advise against having your own bonfire. Home bonfires often cause nuisance for your neighbours but are also extremely dangerous. They can spread to buildings, fences, outhouses and cause injury to people.”

As the country is currently in the midst of a global pandemic it is important that people do not take risks, putting additional pressures on the emergency services. If people do have home displays, they need to follow the Covid-19 guidance and restrictions in place for their area. It is important people check to see exactly what restrictions are in force if they are invited to a party in someone’s garden.

A Durham Constabulary spokesman said: “If you do decide to set off your own fireworks this year, please remember it is an offence for anyone under the age of 18 to buy fireworks. You must also not set off or throw fireworks, including sparklers, in the street or other public places.

“Avoid drinking when in charge of fireworks, and in case of an emergency, keep buckets of water, a garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.

“Make sure you store the fireworks safely in a closed box and only set them off one at a time. Please also remember to keep pets inside and ensure you do not set fireworks off between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night when the cut off is midnight.”

Lee Aspery from CDDFRS added: “We would like to ask everyone to be good neighbours and show respect, following this important advice and remembering the Firework Code, we hope that everyone can enjoy a safe bonfire night this year and every year.”

More fire safety information and advice in relation to bonfire night is available of CDDFRS website: ddfire.gov.uk

Advice for businesses on the sale and storage of fireworks is available at durham.gov.uk/underagesales and www.durham.gov.uk/article/3944/Fireworks-and-the-law

Suspect an illegal bonfire? Report it here:

Durham: https://bit.ly/3201BtK

Darlington: www.darlington.gov.uk/reportit

The latest Covid-19 guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/north-east-of-england-local-restrictions

 

An annual festival, which celebrates the unique history of a County Durham town, will return bigger and better this year by holding its festival in partnership with a neighbouring area.

Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) has teamed up with the Stockton and Darlington Railway HAZ to bring the History and Heritage Festival 2020.

Running from Friday, 23 October to Sunday, 1 November, the festival celebrates the wider history of the North East with a programme of around 50 events that will bring to life the rich heritage of Bishop Auckland and the birthplace of the railway.

This is the second annual festival for Bishop Auckland, and, by working in partnership with its neighbouring HAZ and the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the event will not only celebrate the history of the area but also the 26 miles of the Stockton and  Darlington Railway.

The theme for this year’s History and Heritage festival is ‘people and place’, with events and activities to celebrate the people who shaped the history of the region’s places while uncovering how those places have also been shaped over the years by their communities.

As part of the festival, Bishop Auckland and Stockton and Darlington Railway HAZ have been creating a “community museum” of pictures of memorabilia related to the town and railway.

Submissions for the museum include promotional material from baking powder company Lingford’s, a household name from Bishop Auckland, and memorabilia relating to the Mechanics’ Institute on Victoria Avenue in the town in 1909.

The Stockton and Darlington Railway HAZ has also been collecting submissions relating to the railway and its branch lines, with a particular emphasis on the celebrations for the 100^th anniversary in 1925.

The community museum will be available to view online throughout the festival, either at the council’s HAZ web page or at Bishop Auckland HAZ’s Facebook page. Submissions are still open for those who wish to share any historical memorabilia. A photograph of items with some words describing the pieces can be sent to  bishopaucklandhaz@durham.gov.uk or, for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, Trish.pemberton@btconnect.com.

As well as the community museum, there is a host of activities taking place throughout the festival including recorded and live online talks, films and film clips, photography competitions, crafts, online galleries, and heritage attractions to visit across the HAZ areas.

Bishop Auckland Cine Secrets will take place on Facebook daily at 12pm from Monday, 26 October to Sunday, 1 November, bringing a slice of Bishop Auckland to life through video clips from the vaults of the North East Film Archive.

Budding photographers, aged up to 18, are being asked to take pictures linked to the Stockton and Darlington Railway on a walk, a museum visit or using imagination and interpretation.  Entries for the competition should be sent before the closing date of Sunday, 1 November to Trish Pemberton, chair of Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, at Trish.pemberton@btconnect.com

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure the safety of those enjoying the festival, a large part of this year’s programme will be held online with a host of virtual content. Any activities which are being held in person will have social distancing and safety measures implemented at all times, in line with the current government guidance at the time.

Many of the events are free, some require booking and a lot can be accessed anytime online or via Facebook.

The festival has been made possible by working with a wide range of partners across the two Heritage Action Zones, including Bishop Auckland FM, Locomotion, The Auckland Project, Head of Steam Museum and many more.

Trish Pemberton, who is also a member of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Rail Heritage Board, said: ‘We are now only five years away from celebrating our 200^th anniversary and we have really enjoyed working with the Bishop Auckland HAZ to organise our joint HAZ festival.

“This is a powerful example of what partnership working can achieve. We are excited to share fascinating stories of the development of the railway that ushered in the modern railway age and literally, ‘got the world on track’. We hope the festival will inspire as many people as possible to engage with our wonderful local heritage.”

Trevor Mitchell, Historic England’s regional director for North East and Yorkshire, said: “Heritage Action Zones are not just about regeneration and economic prosperity, but about involving everyone in discovery a place’s rich and varied past.

“The festival is a great way to bring people together and celebrate what Bishop Auckland and the area along the Stockton and Darlington Railway Line has to offer as a place to live, work and visit.”

To receive a full digital programme for the festival, email bishopaucklandhaz@durham.gov.uk or richard.starrs@darlington.gov.uk 

Many of the events can be access on Facebook at @BishopAucklandHAZ and @FriendsoftheStockton&DarlingtonRailway.

More information about the Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/haz

More information about the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway can be found at www.sdr1825.org.uk

A man who borrowed his brother’s vehicle without asking and used it to fly-tip has been left more than a thousand pounds worse off and with a criminal conviction.

Gary Peacock, 39, of Horden, was taken to court by Durham County Council after one of the CCTV cameras it operates as part of its Operation Stop It campaign caught him in the act.

Peacock, of Smillie Road, pleaded guilty to a charge of fly-tipping, before Peterlee magistrates. The court was told that the council received a complaint of fly-tipping in May and visited a site at Peterlee where a three piece suite, bed base and cardboard boxes had been fly-tipped.

Footage from CCTV at the location was reviewed and showed a van was used in the fly-tip. The council used the vehicle’s registration number to locate its registered keeper, visiting his home and seizing the van.

The court heard the man told the council his brother Peacock was responsible for the fly-tip. Peacock was interviewed and admitted taking the vehicle without his brother’s consent. He claimed he had taken it to move a shed and when he realised it was full of waste he chose to dump it.

The vehicle was returned to its owner.

In court Peacock admitted dumping the beds and boxes but denied he had tipped the sofa. Magistrates fined him £533 and ordered him to pay £500 costs and a £53 victim surcharge.

Operation Stop It sees the council work with partners to reduce crimes like fly-tipping by taking action against offenders and raising awareness of people’s responsibility to the environment.

Ian Hoult, the council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “This case shows we will not hesitate to take the strongest possible action against those who commit environmental crimes like fly-tipping which we know annoy residents as much as they do us.

“There are so many ways people can get rid of waste without landing themselves in trouble like Mr Peacock, such as our household waste recycling centres and our bulky waste collections. “We hope the financial penalty he has been left with acts as a deterrent to anyone tempted to copy his poor example.”

For information on how to dispose of waste visit http://www.durham.gov.uk/recycling

To find out more about work to tackle fly-tipping visit https://www.durham.gov.uk/flytipping

A new coastal community hub is set to be built at a County Durham tourist spot for residents and visitors to enjoy when taking a trip to the seaside.

Working with the Heritage Coast Partnership, Durham County Council is investing £250,000 to attract £1.35 million funding from the government’s Coastal Community Fund for a new coastal hub at Crimdon Dene, featuring a café, toilet facilities and a community space.

Crimdon, with its picturesque sea views, sandy dunes and wide-open beach, attracts an increasing amount of people each year to enjoy its charms, with the number of visits now standing at 220,000 per year. However, for more than a decade there has been no facilities for people to use while enjoying this gateway to Durham’s Heritage Coast.

This part of the coast is also home to a rare and varied amount of wildlife, including a colony of little terns which migrate from West Africa each summer to breed. It also welcomes ringed plovers, lizards, rare orchids and insects. Much of the site is legally protected for its nature conservation interest.

The hub will become a place for people to learn more about the unique coastal wildlife that visits the Crimdon coastline and discover ways to help protect it in the future.

The new building’s facilities will offer a 40-seat café for visitors, with an adjacent kitchen, a changing places room, two accessible toilets, a baby changing room, and a volunteers’ room.

It will also be used by local schools and community groups, while providing a place for volunteers to gather before and after working on the shoreline habitats.

The modern design for the new site includes low-energy features and the latest technology for water management which will give the building a low carbon footprint while providing public toilets, café facilities and space for local community groups and volunteers to gather.

The project will be undertaken on behalf of the Heritage Coast Partnership following planning approval and will occupy a corner position at the existing access road from the A1086. Once completed, the scheme will create a number of full-time employment positions.

Following discussions and funding applications, the 31-week project is due to begin next week, on 19 October, with a target completion date of 4 June next year.

The Heritage Coast Partnership previously drew funding from the Coastal Revival Fund to assess the opportunity to improve visitor facilities for the Crimdon site. The partnership also used EU Life programme funding to enable little tern recovery in the Crimdon dunes over the past five years, using a phased approach to rationalise access to the beach to protect conservation interests and raising awareness of the terns with visitors.

Events will also be held at the hub to support the wider Heritage Lottery funded SeaScapes programme, a partnership and community approach to protecting and celebrating the North East stretch of coastline, with more than 30 coastal projects from South Shields to Teesmouth over the next six years.

Progress on the build of the coastal hub will be shared on the Heritage Coast website over the winter months.

For more information and updates on the progress of the build, visit durhamheritagecoast.org/

• Measures will be brought into law restricting inter-household mixing in indoor settings, including pubs and restaurants in Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Northumberland and Sunderland
• Incidence rates over 100 per 100,000 in six of the seven areas last week
• Package of financial support being agreed to tackle rising infection rates in these areas and support the latest measures

In close discussions with local leaders, the Health and Social Care Secretary, NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), Public Health England (PHE) and the Chief Medical Officer for England have agreed to strengthen local measures in parts of the North East.

Current guidance in several areas of the North East advises residents not to mix with people outside their household or bubble in indoor settings, including pubs and restaurants.

In response to high and increasing infection rates, this guidance will now be enforceable by law and subject to fines from 00:01 Wednesday 30th September. The rules will apply to seven areas: Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Northumberland and Sunderland.

Covid secure schools and workplaces are not affected by this update.

The changes are in addition to existing regulations prohibiting household mixing in private homes and gardens, and have been agreed in response to high and increasing infection rates in these areas, with incidence rates over 100 per 100,000 in six of the seven areas last week.

As announced last week, childcare bubbles will be able to form in areas of intervention to allow families to share caring responsibilities with another household, as long as they are consistent. This includes formal and informal childcare arrangements. People in support bubbles in these areas can also continue to meet in any setting.

The first of a new kind of coronavirus testing centre is opening in County Durham next month.

As part of the Government’s drive to increase coronavirus testing, the Department of Health and Social Care is setting up a facility in Territorial Lane car park in Durham City.

The centre opens on Thursday 8 October. Appointments will be available from 8am to 8pm, seven days per week, and unlike mobile testing units which visit sites across the county, the new facility will stay in the same location. Also, by locating it in the city centre, it will help to improve access to testing, especially for those who do not have a car and cannot travel to out of town mobile testing sites. The centre will be pedestrian access only and will feature better accommodation and shelter for those being tested.

Preparation of the site will be taking place over the next few days and Durham County Council and Durham University, which owns the car park, have written to residents to inform them. There may be some local disruption while the build takes place, but every effort will be made by the operators to minimise any potential disruption for nearby residents and businesses.

While the new testing centre is being built, the mobile testing unit which visits Belmont Park and Ride has been relocated to Durham University’s Howlands car park on the outskirts of Durham City on certain days of the week.

Testing is available for those either with coronavirus symptoms – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense or taste – or those who have been asked to get tested by a doctor or public health professional.

Appointments must be booked through the national Covid-19 booking system at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. Results will be provided the next day and there will be additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.  

People without these symptoms should not seek a test unless they have been specifically advised to do so.

Anyone attending an appointment will be advised how to get to and from the test site safely without putting others at risk, as well as the public health measures they need to follow. This includes social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including when travelling to and from the testing centre.

For information and advice about coronavirus and the support available, visit www.durham.gov.uk/coronavirus

!! Cold Caller Warning !!

Durham Trading Standards have become aware of cold callers trying to sell goods on the doorstep in various areas of the County. In some cases, their approach has been persistent, causing both upset and annoyance.

While it is not an offence to simply cold call, residents should be extremely cautious when dealing with unsolicited visitors.

Some top tips to keep yourself and others safe:

• DON’T accept uninvited callers
• DON’T be afraid to say ‘No’
• DON’T be rushed or feel pressured. Genuine traders will always be happy to return when a friend or family member is present
• DO keep an eye on your area and especially vulnerable neighbours. Has work started unexpectedly on their homes? Is the work visibly poor or been left unfinished? Is the person anxious about what has happened? Has a trader accompanied them to the bank?
• DO report suspicious cold callers to the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 11 33 or to the police on 101

Learn more about how to protect yourself and others from scams by becoming a Friend Against Scams at: www.FriendsAgainstScams.org.uk/elearning/durham

http://www.durham.gov.uk/scams

You can follow Durham Trading Standards on Facebook at www.facebook.com/durhamts for updates on local scams affecting your community, consumer awareness campaigns and top tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of a scammer.

 

Following rising cases of COVID-19 across the region, Durham County Council alongside Newcastle, Northumberland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Sunderland and Gateshead councils requested new stricter COVID-19 prevention measures from Government to stop the spread of coronavirus across the North East.

The Government has announced that additional restrictions will come into effect from 00.01 Friday 18 September. The main points are outlined below; however further clarification from Government on the finer details is still awaited.

Legislation – regulations will lawfully enforce the following:

• Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households in private homes and gardens
• All hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only
• Late night restriction of operating hours will be introduced, with venues required to close between 10pm to 5am.

Guidance:

Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:

• Residents should not socialise with other people outside of their own households in all public venues.
• Residents are advised to only use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work (rather than car sharing etc)
• Holidays should be taken within your own household or support bubble
• Residents are advised against attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators.

Further details which affect everyone across the region are outlined in the FAQs (www.durham.gov.uk/localrestrictions)

Why?

Locally, there has been a significant rise in cases and a shift from isolated outbreaks to more general community transmission. Based on the current trend, it is forecasted that by the end of the month, the north east could be experiencing daily rates in the region of 60 per 100,000.

The distribution of cases now closely matches the distribution of population across the county.

• There is an increase in cases in more isolated rural areas.
• In addition to areas where there is known outbreaks, there is now other parts of the county with equally high rates, but as yet they are unable to identify a common source or identifiable link between cases.

A similar picture is emerging in a number of local authority areas across the entire region, and the seven North East local authorities have agreed to work to greater regional coordination and an enhanced approach to tackle the pandemic.

With cases significantly rising it is vital that everyone works together to help reduce the spread of the virus and any future lock down.

Durham County Council will be providing further communications to residents, businesses and other stakeholders so they know how they can play their part. Further information will be available on www.durham.gov.uk/localrestrictions  If you have any further queries after reviewing the website please contact our County Durham Together hub on 03000 260 260 or communityhub@durham.gov.uk  

Bookworms will once again be able to browse the shelves of County Durham libraries from next week.

Durham County Council is set to reopen three quarters of libraries, allowing visitors to choose their own books straight from the shelves for the first time since lockdown restrictions were introduced in March.

The participating libraries will also be offering internet access via its public computers.

The move will also see the end of the council’s successful Pick and Collect service, which was introduced in July to ensure people could still borrow books while libraries were closed. More than 15,000 titles have been borrowed through the service during the past two months.

The libraries reopening on Monday 14 September include all 19 currently offering Pick and Collect. These are Barnard Castle; Wolsingham; Chester-le-Street; Consett; Stanley; Crook; Newton Aycliffe; Peterlee; Seaham; Easington; Sedgefield; Shildon; Spennymoor; Thornley; Woodhouse Close and Bishop Auckland Town Hall, in Bishop Auckland; and Belmont, Clayport and Newton Hall, in Durham.

In addition, libraries at Bowburn; Blackhall; Brandon; Chilton; Cornforth; Lanchester; Langley Park; Murton; Trimdon and Wingate will also be opening on Monday.

Work has been carried out by the council’s building and facilities maintenance team to put measures in place to make the venues as safe as possible. Weekly checks will be carried out and any changes implemented where necessary to keep people safe and in response to any modification to Government guidelines.

It is hoped that the reopening of libraries will encourage more people to visit the county’s towns and villages, supporting local businesses and helping towards the county’s economic recovery from coronavirus.

The libraries reopening next week have been selected because they are the council’s busiest sites, and because they offer sufficient space to provide the essential elements for safe browsing and safe computer use. This includes space for visitors to queue safely before entering the building and for a quarantine area for returned books.

They also provide a good geographical spread of locations around the county.

All other library services, including printing, photocopying, study tables, easy seating and soft furnishings, children’s toys and jigsaws; along with meeting rooms, community room access and events, will remain suspended for the time being although the council is currently looking at how these services can be reinstated over the coming weeks.

Libraries across the country were forced to close in March in response to Government guidance on preventing the spread of coronavirus. Since then, library users in County Durham have been able to access online services, with an extended digital offer including more eBooks, eMagazines and eAudiobook titles and free access to research tool Ancestry.

Almost 2,000 people have joined or re-joined to use the council’s online library services, with the number of people registered to use BorrowBox to access eBbooks and eAudiobooks having increased by more than 3,000.

These services will continue alongside Doorstep Book Delivery service, which was introduced during the lockdown period to provide books for isolated and vulnerable Books on Wheels library users.

Library opening hours may differ at each library and will not be in line with their former opening hours.

Anyone can become a member of the library service by visiting Library Online or calling one of the libraries that are reopening.

For more information, including contact details for participating libraries, visit www.durham.gov.uk/libraries or call 03000 260 000.

Follow the library service’s Facebook or Twitter accounts at https://twitter.com/DurhamLibraries and https://www.facebook.com/CountyDurhamLibraries/

Residents, businesses and visitors are invited to share their views on a review of the policy relating to hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, drivers and operators licensed by Durham County Council.

The local authority has launched a public consultation over proposed changes to the way vehicles, drivers and operators are licensed.

The council’s key aims in what it is proposing are to ensure the safety and welfare of the public and encourage environmental sustainability.

The authority’s current Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy was formally adopted in 2016 and was then amended in 2018. The council reviews this policy at least every five years and makes changes at other times where necessary.

The purpose of the policy is to explain how the council undertakes its functions in relation to hackney carriage and private hire licensing. Its primary focus is on safeguarding and public protection.

The council is looking to revise the policy in line with the Department for Transport’s recently published ‘Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards’. The department expects its recommendations to be implemented unless there is a compelling reason not to do so.

Several possible changes to policy are being put forward for consideration. The main changes that concern licensed vehicles, drivers and operators include:

• The implementation of the requirements of the new national standards for taxi and private hire licensing
• A new policy on vehicle emissions and the age of licensed vehicles
• A new policy in respect of previous convictions and offences
• A new policy on drug and alcohol testing
• Changes to the suspension and revocation of driver licences
• Requirement of refresher training on child sexual exploitation every three years
• All applicants for a vehicle licence must undergo a basic Disclosure and Barring Service check
• All drivers to be trained in disability awareness
• Additional conditions for private hire operators

In addition, the council is also consulting on the use of in-vehicle visual and audio recording via CCTV technology.

The consultation runs until midnight on Sunday 29 November 2020.

Further information and a questionnaire are available online at https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/24130/Review-of-our-Hackney-Carriage-and-Private-Hire-Licensing-Policy